After
a lovely stay in Le Gite de Vieux Limoilio I was ready for the longest drive of
the TCE so far, 770 km. The hospitality of Helene had been exceptional and,
together with the stay in Victoria, will rank as the best in the expedition
till date. The stay had given me enough time to stock up on what is required
till the finish point of the first leg in St. John’s on 22nd and
shuffle the contents of the bags to last me till then.
It
had rained buckets overnight and the streets illustrated how much it had
poured. Nevertheless, when I started at a quarter to 7 am, it was just a minor
drizzle. However, that was enough for me to lose track of the route on the way
out of the city despite the loud voice of the young lady on Google Maps. The
detours didn’t cost me much, mercifully. I was intrigued to note that Quebec
City is quite some distance away from the TCH. I had to get back on the
Montreal route and then pare away to the East to get on to the TCH route to Moncton.
Once past the bustle the drizzle too dried up and I was on dry roads to
Moncton. During the course of the eight and half hour journey light drops did
fall, but nothing that deterred me from a steady drive.
The
drive was so steady that I covered the 770 km with three stoppages, including
the one for a power nap, without any hassle in well under nine hours. Involved
was a time zone change which went from minus 4 GMT to minus 3 GMT, the fourth
'loss' of time since Victoria. During the course of the drive I entered the
seventh province of Canada, New Brunswick. The maximum speed of 110 kph in
this province was a far greater improvement from the 90 in Ontario. One of
the things to be noted about driving in Canada, based on the experience thus
far, is that unless one is driving through a busy city the maximum speed limit
will give you traction to maintain a high average speed. For instance, the 110
kph maximum speed in New Brunswick gave me an average speed of over 100 kph.
This is possible because of superior infrastructure, multiple lanes and
disciplined driving. In India even when motorways are designated at 90 kph it
is difficult to attain even an average speed of 60 kph. To top it all speed
cameras that are not forewarned, cops and traffic lights spoil the fun.
Once
I had checked into the Sweet Home stay, which belongs to a Chinese owner, I
made a tour of the two places recommended. The Magnetic Hill is located just a
ten minute drive from the homestay. This is where one is asked to draw up to a
white post at the bottom of an incline. Once the gear is disengaged and the
foot is taken off the pedal the car mysteriously move up a hill in reverse
without any assistance from the drive. One has only to keep the car under
control, because it gains substantial momentum at one point in the reverse. It
is a top attraction with visitors and there were many at the time of my visit.
An entire water theme park, hotel, cafes, zoo and many attractions have been
built around the Magnetic Hill phenomenon. Some term it a mystery, some optical
illusion and some others give scientific explanations. Whatever it is. It
surely is an enjoyable experience. Despite it I felt that it is not a patch on
what is there near Leh, India. That setting is awesome and tops this one in
Moncton.
When
I drove into downtown I could see the spires of a church from some distance
away. The massive St George Anglican church in Moncton is a definite head
turner. The church has been rebuilt three times since it was first completed in
1852. The church was, unfortunately, closed and neither open for worship or
visit.
The
Riverside Park lies along the Petitcodiac River. The River is informally known
as the Chocolate River. The reasons for this are not far to seek when one walks
along the river in the park. The water looks muddies and the clayey soil is
invitingly chocolate in colour. The inundations caused in the soil by the ebb
and tide of the river is a photographer’s delight. A causeway built in 1968
changed the character of the river and caused immense harm to the aquatic
species that it was home to. Industrial pollution also added to the problems.
At one time it was designated as the most endangered river in Canada. After
nearly four decades of the building of the causeway it was decided to
permanently keep the spillways of the causeway open so that the river gets
regenerated. Bolstered by the success of the short term measure bridge is under
construction that will keep the waters of the river flowing as naturally as it
used to. The river has two tidal changes daily and has some of the biggest
tidal bores in the world. The wave can be as high as 60 cm when it rolls back
upstream in one motion.
The
Park has a memorial to brave 'guardians of Moncton society', a tribute to three
fallen heroes of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who fell prey to the
bullets of a gunman. The bronze memorial of Larche, Ross and Gevaudan is so
vivid that it captures the personal touches of the three in the uniforms that
they wore. The memorial was made in consultation with the families so that
every little detail has been cast into the memorial. A wonderful tribute to
bravery. There is also another piece where those who knew the officers have
etched the words that best describe them. However, I felt that the best tribute
to the braves is the fact that the gunman has been locked away for 75 years
without any possibility of parole. Crime should never pay.
The
Park also has place for kids to practice their skateboarding and rollerblading
skills and many were trying out many new tricks there. Particularly impressed I
was of a couple of them discussing strategy and new moves. They are truly
passionate of what they want to do. While walking in the park admiring some of
the art pieces and enjoying the fresh air an elderly couple stopped by to wish.
I talked to them about my expedition in Canada and the purpose of my visit to
Moncton. The gentleman asked me about the temperature in India. When I told him
that it could hover between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius the couple almost melted!
I wonder what would have happened to them if I had added the political
temperature to the equation!! He told me about a recent book he had read
written by a girl from Moncton who responded to a request from her friend in India
to spend six weeks with her. The narration, he said, made him want to travel to
India.
By
the time I came back to the homestay I had just enough time to rustle up a
quick meal of noodles and spam and post my experience on Facebook. I have an
interesting day ahead which involves an overnight ferry to the last frontier, as
it were, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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